Feeding sheets to printing presses, etc.



'June 13, 1939.. B- F UPHAM FEEDING SHEETS To PRINTING PRESSES, ETC

'7 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March ll, 1958.

Bmw 8 June 13, 1939.` B. F. UPHAM FEEDING SHEETS TO PRINTING PRESSES. ETC

Filed March l1, 1938 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 13, 1939.1 v 4VIB. FQ UPHAM. I 2,162,450

i L FvEEDING SHEETS T0 PRINTING PRESSES, ETC

" Filed March 11 1958 7 sheets-sheetv s uw @wir im June 13, 1939.` B. F. UPHAM FEEDING SHEETS TO PRINTING PRESSES, ETC

Filed March ll, 1938 '7 Sheets--Sheeil 4 June 13, 1939. B. F. UPHAM FEEDING SHEETS TO PRINTING PRESSES, ETC

Filed March ll, 1938 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 13, 1939. B. F. UPHAM FEEDING SHEETS TO PRINTING PRESSES, ETC

Filed March ll, 1958 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Junel3, 1939. B. F. UPHAM FEEDING SHEETS TO PRINTING PRESSES, ETC

- Panarea June 13, 1939 UNITI-:o STA-'rss PA-TENT. OFFICE f FEEDING smears To PRINTING rnsssss, E'rc.

F. Uph'am, Grimsby, Ontario, Canada 4 Application March 11, 1938, Serial No. 195,378

20 Claims. (Cl. 271-27) My invention relates to that class of feeders commonly known as stream feeders" in which an overlapping series of sheets are advanced toward the impression .cylinder or other mechanism to operate thereon.

My invention includes a novel mode of and novel means for feeding sheets of paper to'printing `presses or other mechanism. Its principal object is to enable rotary sheet printingpresses, to be operated at higher speeds when equipped with my automatic sheet feeder; and to enable the diameter of the impression cylinder' to be reduced as compared with the impression cylinders in the presses now used to print sheets of l5 same maximum size, and the sheets are moved at less speed than the peripheral speed of the impression cylinder to ensure proper positioning of the sheet against'the sheet stops at the point where the leading edge of the sheet is seized by the impression cylinder, lor the feed cylinder,

grippers. Further objects are kto provide novel means for supplying the sheets in a stream from the pile to the feed cylinder; also to provide novel means for consecutively removing sheets from the pile and delivering them to a conveyor operated step by step in such manner that the consecutive sheets on the conveyor overlap a shortdistance and itis only necessary to move the stream of sheets the length of such overlap'in' order to properly present them successively to the' gages which arrest the sheets in position for taking bythe feed cylinderl grippers or the like.`

The accompanying drawings illustrate l`one,

practical embodiment ofk my invention and-I will to understand and use 'the same, and thereafter summarize in the claims the essentialsof the invention and the novel mode of operation and In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation 'of a portion'of a rotary cylinder'printing press equippedwitlr' my novel feed mechanism. l Fig. 2 is a top planview of the parts shown in Fig. 1.

` Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 .is an end view of the feed cylinder showing its grippers just closed upon'a'sheet on the feed board.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the feed cylinder showing the mechanism actuating the grippers to release the sheet. a

Figs. 6, 7, k8 and 9 are detail views of sheet car- 5 rier I.

speeds. L

rst describe the same in detailto'enableothers Figs. 10, 11, 12 and 13 are detail views of sheet carrier 2.

Figs. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 are detail views dlagrammatlcally illustrating various positions of the sheet carriers in transferring a sheet-from 5 the pile to the feed board or conveyor sheet.

Figs. 2l and 22 are detail views showing the extreme positions assumed by the sheet carrier in their orbital movements.

In recent years this method of feeding sheets l0 has been used almost exclusively by manufac` turers of high speed printing presses, as the sheets travel at a slow speed relatively to the peripheral speed of the impression cylinder .untilthey are necessarily taken by the feed or impression 15 cylinder grippers (or their equivalent). Because of the thinness of the sheets, va sheet, if traveled at high speed is apt to be displaced by air currents or pockets and not be accurately positioned against the sheet stops with .consequent improper 20 impression and frequently necessitating stoppage of the press, but where stream feeding is employed the presses can be operated at higher In stream feeders the paper pile is usually 25 under the stream of sheets, and the sheets are necessarily raised from the pile and placed in the proper relation to the preceding sheet in the 4sheets in the stream are in alike position to ,sheets placed on a feed board of ahand fed press ofthe cylinder type, except that there is a greater distance between the leading edges of successive 35 sheets in the stream. I now describe my novel4 improvement in streamr feedingsheets to l'printing presses,`etc j Referring toFig. l the sheets are successively ,taken'from'a .pile Pand delivered to a conveyor I, .the 'successivesheets on the conveyor overlapping, and the leading slieetin the stream being upper- 4-most, and the last sheet in the stream undermost.

vThesheets are successively advanced by the conveyor to 4sheetlregistering stops or gages,` which 45 are normally positioned to arrest the leading edge of the sheet in position to be seized by the grippers of the impression cylinder, or in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, in position for engagement by the grippers 6a of a feed cylinder 6 50 which delivers the sheet to the grippers 'la of the impressionv cylinder 1,1whlch coacts with a form cylinder l to print the sheet.

Figs..1 and2-show a sheet a which has just been taken from the feed cylinder by the imsheet @has/entirely passed the stops. They are contacted by the leading edge of the following sheet b (under sheet a), the upper surfaces of the stops maintaining a predetermined space between the leading edge of sheet b and the under surface of sheet a.

In the conventional method of feeding presses, the leading e'kige of the sheet contacts with the press stops, which are then moved from the path of the sheet which is grasped by the grippers; before the stops return to position the entire sheet must pass the stops, and the stops are not returned to their original position until after the tail edge of the sheet has passed. It will be seen that in my method the stops are returned to original position before the sheet has passed, and the major part of the time required for the passage of the sheet past the stops is utilized in positioning the next succeeding sheet.

Important practical V advantages result from this change in the method-of operating the stops, which will appear from the following.

A number of factors determine the eilicient speed at which a printing press or other sheet fed machine may be operated. There is always a maximum speed beyond which eillciency decreases. The circumference of the printing cylinders (or their equivalents) is a factor affecting this maximum. If the circumference can be reduced, the press (or its equivalent) becomes more efficient.

In the present type of press using the conventional method of feeding a cylinder approximately 8" in diameter is required to print a sheet 14" lengthwise of the press. Such a press, operating at 15000 impressions per hour would have a surface speed of 37699 feet per hour. By using my novel method of feeding a press with cylinders 6 in diameter would printa sheet approximately 14" lengthwise of the press. Such cylinders are 18.8496" vin circumference and it will beL noted that except for the approximate 4.8496" required by the gripper gaps I can utilize the total vavailable cylinder surface for printing. Assuming theemcient maximum speed of the 6" press to be 15000 impressions per hour, its cylinders A* would have a surface speed of 23562 feet per hour. Thus .(if we take the surface speed of the 6" v.cylinder-press as standard) the 8" press would 4produce o nlyl1250 impressions per hour and the smaller. :press would be approximately y more productive. `This increase in speed is due to my vnovel method of Aoperation by which the interval vbetweentlie presentationofone sheet and the next o the `sheet stops is.,shortened, and thus maize/stit'v possible to 'decrease the circumference of t e printing cylindera- By my invention andmethod instead of having to feed the succeedingfsheet b against the sheet stops in the short intervalpetven the passing of the tail of oreslreetand-the seizing -of the leading edge of the next 'followingfsheetfl begin feeding the following sheet bjwhen theA leading edge of the sheet a has move'dpa'sitthe sheet stops; and I utilizethe maior part'ofthe time4 of feeding sheets at high speeds.

The cylinders 8, 1, l are rotated at uniform peripheral speed. In the construction shown cylinder 1 has a gear 1s on one end meshing with a similar gear lz o'n feed `cylinder and with a similar gear Bz on cylinder 8.

'I'he upper ends of the gages I are bent rearwardly and upwardly as at la, to hold sheet a out of the way of sheet b during the positioning of sheet b as hereinabove described. The sheet gages [may be operated as above described by any suitable means. In the construction shown the sheet gages I are fast to a rock shaft 5b, on which is a' bell crank lever It having one arm pivotally connected to one end .of a rod 5u, the free end of which passes through a rocking eye 5w having a stud 5s: pivoted on an adjacent part of the frame, a spring 5u on the rod normally holds rock shaft 5b and gages l in sheet arresting position (Fig. l). The other arm of lever 5t has a pin 5c engaged with a slot' ld in the upper end of a rod 5e whose lower end'is pivoted to the free end of a lever if; the other end of said lever 5l being pivoted on a stud 5g on the frame. Lever 5! carries a pin or roller lh which engages a cam 5i on a shaft l1. Lever-If is pressed upwardly to hold roller 5h in contact with cam 5i by means of a spring im strung on a rod 5k Vwhose upper end engages lever Sfand its lower end is slidably engaged with a rocking eye 5p having a stud is pivoted on an 'adjacent part of the frame.

Cam li is rotated in unison with the feed cylinder by means of a gear Iz on the cam shaft meshing with a gear liz on a shaft I5a, gear |52 meshing with gear 1z on cylinder 1 (see Fig. l).

The sheets are successively fed up to the gages 5 from apile P and (in the embodiment of my invention illustrated) by means of two orbitally acting and alternately operating sheet carriers I and 2 as follows:

VI'he carrier I (see Figs. 6 to 9) consists of two v similar spaced apart hollow heads la on the upper mounted on the upper ends of parallel swingable links lq, I i pivotally connected to bar If (see Fig. 1) and respectively pivotally supported on crossshaft Il and a stud Iz on a shaft I0a adjacent pile P. (see Figs. 1 and 3). 'Ihe head Ie is connected by a link Ii to the free end of a lever Ik pivotally mounted on shaft I0, said lever llc having a pin or roller im which engages a race cam I I a in the adjacent side of a cam disk I I mounted on a driven shaft 10b. Cam disk Il'also has in its opposite face a race cam IIb which is engaged by a pin or roller- Ih on the adjacent link I0. Cam IIb imparts a backward and forward struction described forms a link suspension for 75 positions assumed by the carrier I in its orbital movement is illustrated in Figs. 14-20.

Each member Ia of carrier I is provided with an ordinary vacuum cup :Ip on its underside,

which cup connects with a suction duct I1' in\ member Ia. Said duct extends through parts Ib, Ic (Figs. 6 to 8) and is connected by a flexible'V tube Is with suction controlling devices (not shown) In the upper side of each member Ib of carrier l I is a set of perforations It (Fig. 7) which communicates with a suction duct Iu. extending through members Ib, Ic, and is connected by a flexible suction tube Iv with the suction controlling devices (not shown). The mode of operation of carrier I will be hereinafter explained.

A second sheet carrier 2, is provided to operate in alternation with carrier I. Carrier 2 is supported by pipes 2a,.2b upon a head 2z. Pipes 2a, 2b pass through a guide block 2e attached to the rear end of a bar 2f supported on the upper ends of a link 2g pivoted on shaft I0, and a link 2i pivoted on a stud 2z on shaft IIla in line with stud shaft Illa (Fig. 3). The head 2z isconnected by a link 2j to the rear end of a lever 2k pivoted on shaft I0 and having a pin or roller 2m engaging a race cam I2a'r inthe adjacent side of a disk I2 fast on shaft Ib. In the opposite side of cam disk I2 is a race cam IZb which is engaged by a pin or roller 2h on the link 2g. Cam I2b imparts a backward and forward movement to guide block 2z; and cam I2a imparts a rising and falling motion to the head 2e. By these coacting means the desired orbital movement is imparted to carrier 2.` The carrier 2 (Figs. 10-13) has two suci tion cups 2p on its underside adjacent its rear end and near opposite sides thereof. Each cup 2p connects with a suction duct 2r in the carrier, and this duct leads through pipe 2b (Fig. 3) to a duct 2r in head 2e which duct is connected by a tube 2s with the suction control devices (not shown).

Carrier 2 is also provided on its upper side adjacent its inner end and opposite sides with sets of perforations 2t which connect with a duct 2u in the carrier; said duct connects with the duct 2u' in pipe 2a which communicates at its lower end with a duct V2r in head 2e and duct 21' ls connected by a flexible tube 2v with the suction control devices (not shown).

By the construction shown carrier 2 is operated in an orbit similar to that of carrier I; but preferably when carrier I is in its lowest rearmost position carrier 2 is in its uppermost inward position, and vice versa (see Figs. 20 and 16).

Located within the plane circumscribed by the orbits of carriers I and 2, are two short suction heads 3, respectively mounted on the inner ends of suction pipes 3a which are connected with the suction control devices (not shown).

The mode of operation of the carriers in transferring sheets from the pile is as follows:

Starting with the carriers I and 2 in the positions shown in Fig. 20; carrier I is in lowest rearwardmost position with its vacuum cups Ip in contact with the uppermost sheet S on pile P. As carrier I moves up and inwardly it lifts the top sheet S from the pile P (Fig. 14) and moves it up and inwardly until its forward end is over suction heads 3. At` that moment suction is simultaneously cut oif from cups` Ip and applied through heads 3 whereby sheet S is retained on the heads while carrier I continues to move upwardly and inwardly laway from the heads until it reaches its inward limit of travel and then returns outwardly and `downwardly tol starting position.

Meanwhilescarrier 2 has moved outwardly and downwardly in its orbit until its suction cups 2p rest on thezlsucceeding sheet (S) on top of the pile, and lwhen carrierl starts downwardly carrier 2 holding sheet S moves upwardly ampiawardly under sheet B, and when vacuum ports 2t` i`n\ the upper surface of carrier 2 `contact the sheet S on heads 3, the suctionholding sheet S on the heads is cut ofi', and simultaneously suction is appliedI to sheet S through the ports 2t of carrier 2 and carrier 2 lifts sheet S and moves it inward and upward, and simultaneously moves sheet S over the heads 3, and when the leading edge of sheet S' is on-the heads, the suction on cups 2p is cut oil.' and simultaneously suction established in heads 3, so that sheet S is retained thereon (see Fig. 19) while sheet S is moved on and delivered by carrier 2 to the conveyor 4 (Figs. 19, 20). Meanwhile carrier I returns to rst position and when sheet Sis delivered to the conveyor 4, a third sheet (next on top of pile P) is picked up by carrier I (Fig. 20) and when the ducts It in carrier I contact with the underside of sheet S' on heads 3 suction is cut oil from the heads and simultaneously established in ports It so that sheet S is picked oif the heads 3 by carrier I and delivered to the conveyor 4 (as above described relative to sheet S). When the leading edge of said third sheet is brought over heads 3 it is delivered to the heads (as above described regarding sheet S).

I'he various positions assumed by the carriers are clearly illustrated in Figs. 14 to 20. Each carrier moves in a like orbit and at like speed, and when carrier I is in its lowest outermost position, carrier 2 is in its highest innermost position (Fig. 20) and vice versa (Fig. 16).

In their orbital movementswhen carrier I is moving downward and in the direction of the paper pile, carrier 2 is moving upward toward the conveyor 4, but the carriers are so constructed (see Figs. 2l and 23)/ that they do not interfere with one another in their orbital travel. Each sheet is picked from the pile by one carrier and deposited on heads 3; then it is taken from heads 3 by the other carrier and its leading edge inserted under the rear end of the pile of sheets on sheet conveyor'4 and between such sheets and an overlying roll I4. Above the stream of sheets on conveyor 4 are a roll I4 adjacent rearmost roll 4a, and a roller I4g intermediate roller I4 and the feed cylinder 6 (see Fig. l). The roll I4 is journaled in arms I4a on a cross-shaft I4b, and roller |49` is journaled in arms I4f pivotally attached to brackets I4e mounted on rods I4d attached to brackets I4c on shaft I4b. Roll I4 cooperates with roll 4a in nipping and forwarding the last sheet inserted in the stream of sheets. Roller I4g assists in holding the stream of sheets o-n the pile, and is adjusted so that .the rear end of the leading sheet in the stream will clear roller I4g just before its leading edge contacts gages 5.

In slow speed presses it would be practical to use but one carrier which would feed the sheets to the conveyor (duringtwo successive cycles) first to the heads 3, then to the conveyor; but by using two carriers the-speed of movement of the carriers and of sheets from pile to conveyor can 7l 1 be materially reduced while the speed of press is enhanced.

The movement of the sheets Just described.- applies to the beginning of feeding operations; but when the press is in operation there would be a stream of sheets on the conveyor l and over the paper pile (see Fig. 1) and as shown in Fig. 19 a sheet S would be inserted between the conveyor (on the one hand) and the stream of sheets and the upper roll (on the other). The sheet conveyor l is preferably operated intermittently (as hereinafter described) during 1/2 of a cycle of one revolution of the impression cylinder 1, but it is not my intention to limit myself to the particular method and conveyor operating means herein described. 'I'he insertion of the successive sheets in the stream of sheets when the press is functioning can occur just prior to the completion of the feeding movement of the conveyor. This would be advantageous as the carrier and the sheet conveyor would be moving slowly and the insertion would be more accurate than if it occurred when the parts were moving rapidly.

In the construction illustratedthe endless conveyor 4 runs over a roll or rolls 4b adjacent feed cylinder 6 and over rolls 4a, la, at its end adjacent the pile P. The shafts of rolls la are rotatably mounted in the free ends of arms Ic mounted on a shaft 4d (Fig. 1). On the shaft of roll 4b is fixed a pinion 4f which meshes with a pinion 4g on a stub shaft 4h, and fastened to pinion 4f is a ratchet disk li which is engaged by a pawl 4k; on one arm of an oscillatory lever Im the other arm of which lever is connected by a rod lo to a crank pin 4p on a gear lz mounted on a stub shaft ls. Gear Iz is driven by the gear 5a that operates the sheet stops 5. In this construc-l tion the conveyor is moved intermittently and feedsthe stream of sheets forward during onehalf a revolution of the feed and impression cylinders, gear le rotating in unison with the said cylinders. Gear 4a also meshes with the gear |02 on shaft |011 and drives said shaft, and for each revolution of gear la gear |z is rotated one-half a revolution, and lduring each half revolution of gear |02 a sheet of paper is fed from the pile to the stream on the conveyor as above described.

During approximately one-half of the cyclic movement of the press the pawl engaging the ratchet imparts movement to the conveyor tapes.

The tapes are stationary during the remainder of the cyclic movement. As the sheet supporting part of the tapes move forward the rolls resting on them hold the sheets to the tapes so that the sheets have the same movement as the tapes. Note that in Fig. 2 the leading edge of sheet of paper b is in contact with the gages but the tail of the sheet has moved out of contact with the small rolls Mg that hold the stream of sheets to the tapes. 'I'his can also be seen in Fig. 1.

It will be noted that sheet S is inserted in the stream (Figs. 19-20) simultaneously with the arrival of sheet S at the vacuum heads 3.

The drawings show a press designed to print' a minimum sized sheet approximately 3" x 5" and up to a maximum sized sheet approximately 14" x 18". In presses of larger size the minimum sheet would not be as small, and there would be more space widthwise of the press for the sheet carriers and their vacuum cups, (see Fig. 3), and the carriers might be arranged so that no portion of either carrier would need to travel within the orbit of the other.

The feed cylinder gripper operating devices are shown in detail Figs. 4 and 5.

In Fig. 4 the feed cylinder I is shown in position to take a sheet -from the sheet conveyor. Ihe grippers la are mounted on a shaft 6b iournaled in the end of cylinder i. A tumbler li is attached to the gripper shaft at the operators side of the press. and the grippers are closed by the engagement of tumbler 0i with a pin Ik:v

mounted in the adjacent side frame (see Fig. 2).

Owing to the small size of the cylinder I the ordinary gripper shaft operating devices would not be practical. In my Iconstruction on the gripper shaft 6a (Figs. l and 4) is fixed a pinion 8c meshing with a pinion 6d on a stub shaft Se mounted on the adjacent end portion ofthe cylinder 0. On pinion 0d is' a crank pin 0f engaged by the head of a rod 60, the other end of which is guided in an opening in a plate Si attached to the cylinder. A spring 6h interposed'between the plate and head of rod 0a normally tends to cause thegpinions to rock and hold grippers 8a in closed position. This closing occurs when tumbler Si is tripped by pin 6k. At the other end of the cylinder (Figs. 2 and 5) a pinion 0m is fixed on shaft 0b and meshes with a pinion 611 on a 'stub shaft 0o mounted on astud Gv in the cylinder adjacent the end thereof; and on the inner end of shaft 8o is a crank arm 6r to` which is pivoted the head of a rod 0r the other end of which passes through a guide plate 6x on the cylinder. A spring 6s strung between the head of rod 6r and plate 6x normally tends to rock pinions Bn, im' and hold the grippers 6a in open position. 'The shaft 0b however is held in gripper closing position (after it is closed by action of tumbler Si and pin 0k above described) until a tumbler Bt on the shaft 6o of pinion 6m engages a pin 6u on the adjacent side frame (Fig. 2). The pins Ik and 6u are so positioned as to respectively operate the related tumblers at the proper times to cause the opening and the closing of the gripper fingers during each revolution of the feed cylinder.

In Fig. 5 the feed cylinder is shown in the position it would take shortly after a sheet had been transferred to the impression cylinder (Fig. l). Because of the small diameter` of the feed cylinder and the consequent shortness of the gripper shaft compression springs, I use two springs and cooperating devices mentioned above; which provide simple and novel means for operating the grippers of a press with small cylinders.

In the press shown, both tumbler pins Ek and 6v are located close to the path of the periphery of a 6" circle, and are respectively engaged by tumblers 6i and It to respectively close and open the grippers. The conventional tumbler has two channels lineally opposed and the pin that actu- -ment of the closing tumbler would not be sufficient to move the tumbler into position to be entered by .its opening pin. And therefore when the conventional tumbler is used the diameter of the cylinder cannot bereduced below a certain minimum.

l While I have illustrated one practical embodiment of my invention changes may be made within the scope of the invention, and it is notintended toy limit the invention to the particular construction of the carriers or their operating devices; nor to a rotating feed cylinder, nor to the employment of suchdevices with a rotary print- `ing press.

divisional application for Gripper cylinders for* printing presses, filed July' 21, 1938, Serial No. 220,533. 'Ihe claims for the mode of and means for transferring sheets from `the pile to conveyor are retained in this application.

I claim:

1. The method of feeding sheets from a pile to a receiver, consisting in transferring the sheet from the pile to receiver in two successive steps, by first lifting a sheet from the pile and moving it partV way to the receiver; and second again lifting said sheet and delivering it to the receiver.

2. 'I'he method of feeding sheets from a pile to a conveyor, consisting in first lifting the top sheet on the pile and moving said sheet `part way to the conveyor and arresting it, and second engaging the under surface of said sheet and lifting it to the conveyor.

3. The method of feeding sheets from a pile to a stream of sheets on a conveyor, consisting in first engaging the upper surface of the top sheet on the pile and lifting said sheet and moving it part way `to the conveyor, land second engaging the under surface of said sheet and lifting it to the conveyor.-

4. The method of feeding sheets from a pile to a receiver; consisting in lifting the top sheet on the pile and depositing such sheet upon a support intermediate the pile and receiver, and thereafter lifting the sheet from the support and delivering it to the receiver.

5. The. method of feeding sheets from a pile vto a receiver; consisting in lifting the top sheet on the pile by means applied to its top surface; and depositing such sheet upon a support intermediate the pile and receiver, and thereafter lifting the sheet from the support by means engaging the underside of the sheet and delivering it to the receiver.

6. The method of feeding sheets froma pile to a conveyor, consisting in lifting the top sheet on the pile by suction applied to the upper surface of said sheet and depositing it upon a support intermediate the pile and conveyor and retaining it on said support by suction, and `thereafter lifting the sheet from the support by suction means engaging the underside of the sheet and delivering it to the conveyor.

7. Means for transferring sheets fromA a 'pile to a receiver comprising `a sheet support intermediate the pile and receiver, a carrier adapted to vtake a sheet from the pile and move it part way to the support, and to subsequently lift a. sheet previously deposited on' such support and deliver the latter sheet to the receiver.

8. Means for transferring sheets from a pile to a receiver comprising a sheet support intermediate the pile and receiver, an orbitally moving carrier adapted to lift the top sheet from` the pile and move it part way to thesupport, and to pick up a sheet previously removed from the pile from i such support and deliver it to the receiver.

9. -Means for transferring sheets from a pileV to a stream of sheets on a conveyor, comprising a sheet support intermediate the pile and receiver, an orbitally moving carrier adapted to lift the top `sheet from the pile and move it part way to' vthe support, and to pick up a sheet previously removed from the pile from such support and deliver it to the underside ofthe stream of sheets on the conveyor. i

10. Means for feeding sheet from 'a pile to a receiver comprising a sheet support intermediate the pile and receiver, and a movable carrier adapted to first lift a sheet from the `pila and deposit said sheet on said support, and to engage 4a previously fed sheet previously deposited on the support and deliver said sheet to the receiver. 11. Means for feeding sheet from a pile to a pile-and conveyor, anda movable carrier .adapted to first lift a sheet from the pile by suction and move said sheet to said support, and to then engage by suction a sheet previously deposited on ,the support and deliver such sheet to the conveyor.

12- MeansY for feeding sheet from a pile to a conveyor comprising a support intermediate the pile and conveyor, and a movable carrier adapted to first lift a sheet from the pile by suction applied to the top surface oi' /the sheet and move said sheet to said support, and to engage by suction the underside of a sheet previously deposited' on the support and deliver such sheet to the conveyor.

13. Means for feeding sheets from a pile to a receiver, said means including a sheet support intermediate the pile and receiver, a sheet carrier having sheet engaging means on both its upper and lower surfaces, and means for moving said-V carrier to contact its lower sheetiengaging means with the top sheet on the pile and deposit said sheeet on the sheet support, and to engage by its upper sheet 'engaging means the underside of a sheet/previously deposited on the support and deliver such sheet to the receiver.

14. Means for feeding sheets from a pile to a stream of sheets on a conveyor adjacent the pile, said means including a suction head intermediate the pile and conveyor, a sheet carrier having sheet engaging suction means on both its upper and lower surfaces, and means for moving said carrier to rst engage its lower suction means with the upper side of the top sheet on the pile, and

lift said sheet and deposit it on the suction head ;V

it to the receiver.

16. Means for transferring sheets from a pile to a stream of sheets on a conveyor, comprising a sheet support intermediate the pile and conveyor, and a pair of sheet carriers alternately operating to successively pick up a sheet from the pile and deposit it upon the support, and to pick up a sheet previously deposited on the support and deliver it to the underside of the pile on the conveyor.

17. In mechanism of the character specified; asheet carrier, a vertically movable 'head on which the carrier is mounted, a guide block for said carrier, means for reciprocating the guide block in one plane, and means for reciprocating the head in an opposite plane whereby the carrier is moved in an orbit.

18'.` In' mechanism as set forth in claim 17, the means for moving the guide block comprising a bar supporting the block, parallel links supporting the bar, and a cam for swinging the links.

19. In mechanism as set forth mclaim 1v, the

means for reciprocating the head comprising a swingable lever, a link connecting the lever and head, and acam for vibrating the lever.

20. In mechanism o! the character speciiied; a

4sheet carrier, a vertically movable head on which the carrier is mounted, a guide block for said carrier, means for reciprocating the guide block, and means for reciprocating the head; the means for moving the guide block comprising a bar supporting the block, parallel links supporting the bar, and a cam for swinging the links; and the means for reciprocating the head comprising a. swingable lever, a link connecting the lever and head, and a cam for vibrating the lever.

BURT F. UPHAM. 

